We’re headed towards the NBA All-Star Break, and the DPOY odds at Caesars are heating up. Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert and three-time DPOY are the frontrunners. However, there is still much time left for contenders like OKC Thunder forward Chet Holmgren or Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis to sneak in and snatch the award away from Gobert.
Does Anunobi have a chance to win the award? Join me as I break this one down and look for value for a 2023-2024 NBA DPOY Award wager at Caesars New Jersey.
Caesars 2023-2024 Regular Season DPOY Award Odds
|
Player |
Team |
DraftKings MVP Odds |
|---|---|---|
|
Morehead State Eagles |
Morehead, Kentucky |
-175 |
|
Western Illinois |
Macomb, Illinois |
+250 |
|
SIU Edwardsville |
Edwardsville, Illinois |
+1400 |
|
UT Martin |
Martin, Tennessee |
+1400 |
|
Little Rock |
Little Rock, Arkansas |
+1800 |
Defensive Player of the Year Requirements
A panel of 124 sportswriters and other media vote on the DPOY Award. According to the new league rules lobbied for in the latest Collective Bargaining Act, players must play at least 65 games and at least 20 minutes in each of those 65 games or play at least 62 games or suffer a major injury but still play a majority of their games before the injury to be eligible to win the award.
Those requirements eliminate a lot of players and probably some of the names on the Ceasars leaderboard.
Defensive Player of the Year Breakdown
Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert is a three-time DPOY and the overwhelming betting favorite at Caesars. Gobert is ninth in the NBA in blocked shots and is second in defensive win shares behind Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley. Still, according to Hollinger Team Statistics, he’s the anchor on the best defensive team in the league, but -190 is too much juice to pay.
OKC Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren missed his actual “rookie” season due to injury. Holmgren has made up for lost time, and his defense has fueled the Thunder to a 23-10 record and a second seed in the Western Conference. Holmgren is fifth in blocked shots and allows a minuscule 6.8 points per game on opponents’ putbacks, but his lower-body injury from a year ago and the fact no other rookie in NBA history has won this award will keep me off of him.
Speaking of injury situations keeping me off a bet, how about Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis at +700? He’s by far the most talented on this list, but he’s only missed two of the Lakers’ 35 games thus far. Davis is fourth in blocks and second in caroms for the Lake Show, but he hasn’t played 65+ in any of his last six seasons, and just twice over his 12-year career has he dressed in 65+ games.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is the fourth favorite to win the DPOY, but he’s already missed 11 of the 76ers’ 33 games. That’s a ⅓ of their games, and the chances of Embiid missing additional time are too great to take the chance. Still, Embiid is seventh in defensive win shares and tenth in blocked shots for the third-best defense on Hollinger’s list.
Finally, the New York Knicks acquired forward O.G. Anunobi this past weekend, and his defensive presence should improve the Knicks’ below-average defense. Anunobi averages 1.1 steals per game and has four steals through his two games with New York. Playing for a defensive-minded coach like Tom Thibedueax could also improve his chances, and +1500 is worth a sprinkle because he could win this award.
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